What Drives Most Prostitution is Men. [View all]

[MineralMan]

Some men apparently believe that they must have sex with some other person. That creates a demand for people willing to have sex with those men. Since few people are willing to have sex with strangers on a casual, money is offered for sex. Some people are willing to have sex with strangers in exchange for money. Far more people are more or less forced to have sex with strangers, and the money goes to the person who is doing the forcing. Still, the entire industry is driven by men who insist that they must have sex with another person. Without that demand, there would be no need for prostitution.

From what I have been able to discover, it is a small minority of men who pay for sex with prostitutes. A poll here on DU seems to support that, with over 80% of those participating choosing the poll option indicated that they have not engaged in prostitution in any way. So, what is the answer to the very serious problems prostitution presents for society. Since the bulk of prostitutes are connected with someone who takes a large percentage of the fees, and since so many prostitutes are under the legal age of consent, I can see only one solution.

Make paying for sex the only illegal act. Make it far more expensive, in terms of money and possible punishment, to pay someone for sex. At some point, demand will decrease to near zero, as men realize that they should choose other alternatives to release whatever sexual tension or whatever else leads them to seek out prostitutes. The alternatives would not have the financial and criminal penalties of paying a prostitute or the prostitute's pimp to have sex.

Personally, I cannot even imagine what possible benefit I could get from paying for sex. I have never done so, and know that I never will. So, I do not understand what it is that causes some men to pay prostitutes for sex. I discovered the alternative solution in my very early teens.

I suggest we make illegal the act of paying someone for sex, with significant penalties. Prosecute those who do, and help those who are providing that sex to find other solutions in their lives. Where underaged people are engaging in prosecution, make the penalties for those who hire them even harsher and more costly.

Remove the demand through making it too costly in multiple ways to risk the penalties of paying for sex, and the demand will disappear, I believe.